I AM NOT GOING TO SCHOOL TODAY!

Age Range: 4 - 7

Pub Date: July 1st, 2003ISBN: 0-689-83913-8Publisher: McElderry

The team of Harris and Ormerod once again create a reassuring title with utter purity of feeling. The little boy protagonist gets everything ready for the first day of school, but cuddling with Hank, his toy monkey, brings him to the decision of the title. He tells his parents that on the first day of school, you don’t know anything, like which cubby is yours, where the toilets are, or anyone’s name. And Hank will miss him. His parents finesse this pretty well, getting him fed and dressed and announcing that he can take Hank to school. He discovers he’s not the only kid to bring a stuffed friend; he meets his teachers, finds out where the crayons are and what’s for snack time, and decides he and Hank will go to school again tomorrow. Ormerod’s beautiful way with bright kid colors and clear lines echoes and reinforces the story, and the apple-cheeked hero is a sweet little melding of the facial features of his mommy and daddy. A great send-off. (Picture book. 4-7)